My needle in a haystack
- Miller Tyme
- PE - PEM - PU
- Posts: 1996
- Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:24 pm
My needle in a haystack
Every now and then it pays to be diligent and a little bit lucky,
4 years ago I purchased a Czech VZ54 sniper rifle from Dennis Kroh @ Empire Arms. It was mismatched ( as most are) with the barreled action and bolt being one S/N and the other 3 S/N's ( trigger guard, magazine cover, stock) being another, but it was complete with scope and was a very clean rifle. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago and while cruising Gunbroker I notice a Scope less VZ54 for sale and after opening the auction I noticed the S/N, which looked very familiar. I pulled up the pics of the auction and of my sniper and what do I find but the rifle on the auction has all my parts to go with my action, and I have all it's parts for it's action.
So after checking and rechecking the pics a dozen times I did what any collector would do, I placed a healthy bid on the rifle and sweated out the next 10 days until the auction closed !
Well today the rifle arrived and after getting a healthy dose of pics to document the story I returned both rifle back to there former glory, and in the process learned something new about the VZ54.
1st there are not 5 but 7 serial numbered parts on them, they are the
1- barreled action
2-bolt
3-trigger guard
4-magazine cover
5-stock
6-bolt head
7-underside of hand guard
My 1956 rifle is now all matching with a mismatched scope, and my scope less 57 has 6 of it's 7 matched parts with the bolt head being replaced at some point by the Czechs.
So here the are in all there glory
1957 VZ54 as received
My 56 VZ 54
My now my 56 & 57 VZ54's returned to there former glory !
4 years ago I purchased a Czech VZ54 sniper rifle from Dennis Kroh @ Empire Arms. It was mismatched ( as most are) with the barreled action and bolt being one S/N and the other 3 S/N's ( trigger guard, magazine cover, stock) being another, but it was complete with scope and was a very clean rifle. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago and while cruising Gunbroker I notice a Scope less VZ54 for sale and after opening the auction I noticed the S/N, which looked very familiar. I pulled up the pics of the auction and of my sniper and what do I find but the rifle on the auction has all my parts to go with my action, and I have all it's parts for it's action.
So after checking and rechecking the pics a dozen times I did what any collector would do, I placed a healthy bid on the rifle and sweated out the next 10 days until the auction closed !
Well today the rifle arrived and after getting a healthy dose of pics to document the story I returned both rifle back to there former glory, and in the process learned something new about the VZ54.
1st there are not 5 but 7 serial numbered parts on them, they are the
1- barreled action
2-bolt
3-trigger guard
4-magazine cover
5-stock
6-bolt head
7-underside of hand guard
My 1956 rifle is now all matching with a mismatched scope, and my scope less 57 has 6 of it's 7 matched parts with the bolt head being replaced at some point by the Czechs.
So here the are in all there glory
1957 VZ54 as received
My 56 VZ 54
My now my 56 & 57 VZ54's returned to there former glory !
Last edited by Miller Tyme on Wed Jul 08, 2015 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“The only real power comes out of a long rifle" - Joseph Stalin
- Knuckledragger
- Posts: 465
- Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 1:45 pm
Re: My needle in a haystack
Awsome story and ending, MT!
You did exactly what needed to be done- congrats!!!
You did exactly what needed to be done- congrats!!!
- Junk Yard Dog
- Owner/Founder
- Posts: 48756
- Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 12:54 pm
- Location: New York
Re: My needle in a haystack
It would have sucked to get outbid by $1 on this one. Document everything because without the paper trail nobody will believe this story, it's that rare of a happening. Print out the auction, everything.
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.
Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.
Theodore Roosevelt
Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.
Theodore Roosevelt
Re: My needle in a haystack
Wow congrats on the return of wayward parts
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- Lee-online
- Posts: 1497
- Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:47 pm
Re: My needle in a haystack
That is a really cool story.
Now, are you going to keep these as a set and keep the story or split them up and let them go their separate ways?
Now, are you going to keep these as a set and keep the story or split them up and let them go their separate ways?
Kollaa kestää
- Miller Tyme
- PE - PEM - PU
- Posts: 1996
- Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:24 pm
Re: My needle in a haystack
Lee-online wrote:That is a really cool story.
Now, are you going to keep these as a set and keep the story or split them up and let them go their separate ways?
For now I am going to keep them together.
Now to buy a powerball ticket
“The only real power comes out of a long rifle" - Joseph Stalin
-
- Posts: 3126
- Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 7:53 pm
- Location: Western PA
Re: My needle in a haystack
Fantastic. Congratulations, and don't forget that it wasnt all luck...your diligence played a big part too.
On Facebook? Check out the non-sporter preservationist group at: OOOPS. Deleted by Facebook because it's evil to even discuss collectible firearms on social media these days.
- Longcolt44
- Administrator
- Posts: 7574
- Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:13 pm
- Location: Loveland, Ohio
- Contact:
Re: My needle in a haystack
You must have a whole lot of astronomers chasing their tails for all those stars and planets to have aligned. Good stuff buddy.
FREEDOM...USE IT OR LOSE IT!!
Re: My needle in a haystack
Awesome! Can I go in halfsies on the Powerball ticket?? Oh no...did I just say 'halfsies'??
Governments don't live together.
People live together.
Governments don't give you a fair word
or a fair fight. I've come here to give you either one.
Or get either one from you.
People live together.
Governments don't give you a fair word
or a fair fight. I've come here to give you either one.
Or get either one from you.
-
- Posts: 670
- Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:29 am
Re: My needle in a haystack
Yeah buddy,nice job.
- steelbuttplate
- Posts: 3938
- Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2013 2:24 pm
- Location: Foxhole in the Smoky Mtns. N.C.
Re: My needle in a haystack
Who's got the Romy M-44 with the BD7-851 bolt? I'll swap ya my ZZ-85# bolt and some bootie.......SBP
" There are two kinds of people, the good people and the ones that aggravate the hell out of the good people"